A-Game
The Alementary Brewing Co.

A: Pours a lightly hazy medium to dark yellow in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate light apricot + burnt orange + golden yellow + amber colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense creamy foamy off-white head that very slowly reduces to a large patch of finger thick film covering approximately 65% of the surface of the beer surrounded by a large patch of very slightly mottled very thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of slightly juicy citrus/grapefruit + citrus/grapefruit pith + citrus/grapefruit zest + floral + pine hops over the moderate aromas of biscuit + caramel + wheat malts with a light to moderate amount of grainy + caramel sweetness.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of biscuit + caramel + wheat malts with a light to moderate amount of grainy + caramel sweetness. That is followed by slightly stronger than moderate flavors of slightly juicy citrus/grapefruit + citrus/grapefruit pith + citrus/grapefruit zest + floral + pine hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which slowly fades away leaving light to moderate lingering citrus hop flavors.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp initially with light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Easy to drink with moderate amounts of carbonation and a slightly crisp with a light amount of dryness in the refreshing mouthfeel. Enjoyable with lots of grapefruit citrus hops along with lighter amounts of pine + floral hops.

 

 

 

 

 

From a tap it came, inside a clear glass, showing its orange-copper color nicely. The slightly off-white head is a near perfect amount and endures. There's plenty to smell, hops and malt dominantly. The taste is juicy sweet, more dank than citrusy and certainly not dry. The glass lacing is lovely, as it witnesses each time the brew recedes. The hoppiness is mild. Even in the aftertaste, where hops usually star, they are subdued. Perhaps one benefit to the drinker from that aspect is the rich and smooth way this goes in and down. Maybe not quite the A Game when it comes to the great AIPAs, but it does have game.

12th review. My 1st from brewer.
a) amazing head rips the glass with foam, lasting over hazed body, makes great impression.
s) Grainy with\ citrus, grapefruit, a bit soft.
T: Chalky. follows smell, has a bit of imagined cardboard, grain, dust.
M: Chalky, grainy feel.
O: So-so. Am i biased vs meadowlands water?

 

Served on tap at the Alementary Brewing Co. in Hackensack, NJ.
A: Pours a hazy, dark golden color with a one finger, densely fluffy, great than one finger white head, cap plus retention and complex, gorgeous lacing.
S: Grainy with some citrus especially grapefruit, a touch of pine, and a caramel note.
T: Semidry. Barley grain and wheat dominate, but citrus, particularly grapefruit is present as is modest pine. Solid bitterness in line with flavors and sweetness.
M: Medium bodied with moderate effervescence.
O: A solid, grainy AIPA. Well made and enjoyable.

Pint pour on draught at the brewery. It pours a pretty, turbid orange color with a large, fully, eggshell head and extensive, thick lacing. It's an attractive pour. The fragrant nose features lemon, tangerine, onion, vanilla cream, and lite floral hops. The taste opens with tangerine, tart lemon, lime, and grapefruit rind balanced with some soft tropical notes and subtle vanilla cream. The Citra hops shine. The taste is soft. It finishes with a mild hop bite from the Centennial hops. The mouth feel is terrific - soft and pillowy with a pleasant level of carbonation, and at 6.2% ABV it drinks very easily. I have to say I'm wowed by A-Game. Based upon the prior reviews and average rating I wasn't expecting much but I was wrong. A-Game is a first rate American IPA that reminds me of Industrial Arts' celebrated Wrench. I'm looking forward to the next canning run to see whether this batch is an aberration but I suspect that Alementary has nailed it. It's a fine ale that's worth seeking out.

 

Was given this as part of a trade with a friend a while back and finally got around to it on this freakishly mild winter's night. Like the label and the small can but otherwise, there wasn't much of anything particularly memorable about this beer. It's an American IPA that checked off all the boxes and even bordered on being an American Pale Ale although it's flavor didn't quite held up well over time...

The pour to this wasn't anything special as the deep amber liquid had enough dark sediment in it although none of it settled to the bottom. Tons of foam topped this off but that was probably more due to the beer's age than anything else, as the lacing was quite extensive from the middle of my pint glass on down. Pine, weed, and citrus were in the muted nose as the taste was quite malt-forward and balanced. Some herbal undertones and warming from the booze kicked in but like so much else about this beer, they were muted and fit in with everything else quite nicely, as there were hints of cracker and caramel in the aftertaste.

No canning date, nor anything else, was written on the bottom as this beer seemed quite a bit stronger than it turned out to be. This was fine for kicking back with but after reading the other reviews on here, I was hoping for just a bit more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-Game from Alementary is a damned fine IPA, and at 6.5% ABV, it deserves to be a session Beer. Outstanding balance and complexity yield multiple pleasures on the palate and in the nose during mid-quaff and at the finish. The malt and hops are in perfect synch. Do some retro-olfaction for even more surprises. Would go well with a host of foods, including Tex-Mex, Shepherd’s Pie and even loaded Nachos. Not a hazy hop bomb, put a soundly made treat for the true Beer Nut.